Friday, March 1, 2019

BOB SKIDMORE

CORRESPONDENT

Like many “techie” products these days, Apple Watch is a
feature packed gadget, but lacks an included user manual. When you first unpack
it and decipher how to make it operational, you soon find it displaying unknown
status icons and symbols on the your selected watch face and in the Control
Center. What do they mean? Out of my reader’s frustration and my desire to
learn more, I researched for answers to this mystery. So, here goes…

Some symbols and icons will appear on the top edge, middle
section, of the watch face as shown in the example above. The red dot is such
an example. The last application engaged will be the one displayed. When
canceled the next active one is displayed. If none are active, none will be
displayed. Many will appear in the watch’s CONTROL CENTER shown below, and are based
on the type of notification they represent.

Apple Watch Series 4

CONTROL CENTER

[Swipe up on watch face,

then use the Digital

Crown to Scroll up

and down]

A red dot, on the top middle of your watch face, indicates
that you’ve received some sort of notification as in a news flash, text, or other
message. Swiping down on the watch face will reveal the condensed message(s).
Once you’ve accessed all these notifications the red dot will disappear until a
new notification is received.

The blue, half-moon symbol, on the top middle of your watch
face, indicates that the DO NOT DISTURB feature is engaged.
Calls and alerts won’t ring or light up the screen until you turn this setting
off. Alarms will still sound.

The symbol of a plane, on the top middle of your watch face, indicates
that the Airplane Mode is on. Wireless features are off until you turn
this setting off. You can still use other features on your watch. When you turn
Airplane
Mode off on your watch, Airplane Mode remains on, on your
iPhone.

The green lightning bolt symbol, on the top middle of your
watch face, indicates that the watch is charging.

The red lightning bolt indicates that your watch battery is
low and needs charging. It appears on your watch face next to the time display
without any other visible data on the display.

The diagonal line across the iPhone symbol, on the top middle
of your watch face, indicates that your watch is not connected in any way to
your iPhone. Move your watch and iPhone closer together, or turn off Airplane
Mode.

The theatre masks symbol, on the top middle of your watch
face, indicates that the Silent Mode is on. The watches’
screen will stay dark until you tap the screen or press a button to turn off
this feature. This is done be opening the control center and tapping the icon.

The aqua colored raindrop symbol, located on the top middle
of your watch face, indicates that the Water Lock is on. (Appears only on
Apple Watch series 2 and later) In this mode the screen will not react to taps.
Turn the Digital Crown to unlock your watch.

The green four dots in a row that appear in the CONTROL
CENTER, are a feature that relates only to Apple Watch series 3 & 4
with GPS + Cellular options. This symbol indicates that you are connected to a
cellular network, and the number of dots displayed indicates the signal
strength.

The red X symbol, on the top middle of your watch face, on a
series 3 & 4 that features GPS + cellular, indicates that the watch has
lost connection with the cellular network.

The blue traditional Wi-Fi symbol indicates that your watch
is connected directly to your Wi-Fi network and not your iPhone’s cellular
service Wi-Fi. This symbol will appear in the CONTROL CENTER and not on
the face of the watch.

The pyramid to circular lines symbol is found in the CONTROL
CENTER and as in other such applications is access by simply scrolling
down the watch face in till found. Tap this symbol to switch the audio output
between paired Bluetooth headsets, speakers, and other accessories.

This purple arrow indicates that your watch has used Location
Services. This is displayed in the CONTROL CENTER.

The bar graph in an orange circle, appearing in the top
middle of your watch face, indicates that audio is playing.

The runner shown in a green circle is displayed in the top
middle of your watch face when you are using a workout app. After you end your
workout, restart your watch by pressing and holding the side button until you
see the Power Off Slider. Drag the Power Off Slider. After your watch
turns off, press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo.

This is the Walkie-Talkie symbol in the CONTROL CENTER. Tap to
open. This feature allows you to directly communicate with other Apple Watch
users providing that both watches have OS5, or higher installed.

The Blue Lock symbol displayed in the top middle of the watch
face indicates that your watch is locked. Tap to enter the password.

Last, but not least, this is the Apple Watch Charging Screen.
It is displayed when you first place the watch on the charger. The green
indicates the amount of charge remaining, while the black part of the circle
shows the watch’s power consumption. Apple tests indicate that it takes 1.5
hours to achieve an 80% charge, and 2.5 hours for a full charge. However, some
users have reported to me even faster charging rates.

I hope this month’s column has unlocked some of your icon and
symbol mysteries. In a future column I will feature a review of the newly
released, APPLE WATCH FOR DUMMIES,
a fantastic book, written by Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY ,Technology Columnist. It’s definitely better than
a manual would ever be.

Graphic credits: Apple and Google Images

Bob Skidmore is a freelance
writer, who may be contacted at bob.thegadgeteer.skidmore@gmail.com, or
followed at twitter.com/bskidmore for the
latest gadget industry news. He does not represent, or endorse any of the
products he reviews and his opinions are solely his points of view and not
those of the manufacturer, or any legal resource. The manufacturer generally
supplies products and press releases at no cost for the articles and no other
compensation is received. THE
GADGETEER is highly selective as to products he feels worthy of review
so as not to waste the reader’s time, thus the reason for many superior
ratings.

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About Me

Bob's career includes a ten year stint with RKO General Broadcasting in NYC, and 34 years as President of Media Concepts, Inc., a pioneer in audio and video production, forensic A/V, consultant to the judiciary, equipment sales and product development. Media Concepts was located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
While in New York, Bob was a member of the International Motor Press Association (IMPA) and did investigative reporting on "auto safety" topics for WOR's Barry Farber Show.
In the early eighties Bob broadcast a weekly gadget feature entitled "Weekend 57" over WPLP talk radio in the Tampa Bay market.
As a freelance journalist Bob has written for several publications including THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, now known as, THE TAMPA BAY TIMES, Florida's largest newspaper.
This blog represents an ongoing series of his current and past articles. Bob has written under THE GADGETEER byline for over thirty years. This column is syndicated and articles appear in numerous publications world-wide. Articles may be reprinted or added as a link on your web site by obtaining permission from the copyright holder, Bob Skidmore at: bob.thegadgeteer.skidmore@gmail.com.